Ranchi (PTI): JMM leader Hemant Soren took oath as the 14th chief minister of Jharkhand in a grand ceremony here on Thursday, amid the presence of a galaxy of INDIA bloc leaders.

The 49-year-old tribal leader was sworn in as the chief minister by Jharkhand Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar.

The governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to Soren at a function held in Morabadi ground in Ranchi, where Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal were present.

Prior to taking the oath, Soren, donning a kurta and pyjama, met JMM president and his father Shibu Soren.

This is the fourth stint of the JMM leader as the chief minister.

Hemant Soren retained the Barhait seat by defeating BJP's Gamliyel Hembrom by a margin of 39,791 votes in the recent assembly polls.

The JMM-led alliance stormed to victory, securing 56 seats in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly, while the BJP-led NDA managed 24 constituencies.

 

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Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.

The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.

The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.

“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.

“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.

Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.

Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.

Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.

“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.